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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23033866">A Taste of Peace</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all'>sanctuary_for_all</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Partners [69]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anyone who told you otherwise is a filthy liar, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Joe White is fine and comes to dinner at least once a month, M/M, with some Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:47:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,037</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23033866</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Joe doesn't really talk about his feelings."<br/><br/>"Supposedly, neither do you." Danny's voice was gentle. "But every single time I've ever seen you standing outside staring at the water like that, you were pretty much begging for someone to come outside and ask you what was wrong. When it's you standing out there, that someone is me. But since it's Joe..."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett &amp; Joe White, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Partners [69]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/105629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>326</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Taste of Peace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dinner was long over, the table cleared and leftovers sealed up in the fridge. Brandon was in the living room, showing Nahele everything he'd built in Minecraft over the last few weeks, Grace was next to them doing her homework, and Joe was outside staring at the water. Steve was in his favorite place to be after dinner, right next to Danny doing the dishes.</p><p>Tonight, though, he wasn't enjoying it quite as much as usual. He kept glancing outside at Joe, who'd been even quieter than usual since he'd gotten here. Nahele and Grace had even asked him about Navy stories, trying to get him to open up, but he'd barely get them started before turning them over to Steve. He didn't even hold up his half of the color commentary, even though he and Danny both tried extra hard to get some comeback out of him.</p><p>Now, he was alone outside in what Danny always referred to as Steve's "tragic brooding" pose. Steve didn't know what Joe was thinking right now, but he knew that whenever he stood outside like that it always felt like the weight of the entire world was on his shoulders. He also usually felt really, really alone, which was why he hardly ever did the tragic brooding pose anymore.</p><p>This time, when he looked away from Joe again, he turned back to find Danny watching him with a patient, knowing expression. "Go talk to him," he said quietly, nudging him with his elbow. "I'm pretty sure I can do without your expert dish drying assistance for a little while."</p><p>Steve hesitated, torn, then shook his head. "He won't want me to." He sighed, picking the plate back up that he'd been drying. "Joe doesn't really talk about his feelings."</p><p>"Supposedly, neither do you." Danny's voice was gentle. "But every single time I've ever seen you standing outside staring at the water like that, you were pretty much begging for someone to come outside and ask you what was wrong. When it's you standing out there, that someone is me. But since it's Joe..."</p><p>Danny let the statement trail off leadingly, his eyebrows adding their own color commentary, and Steve couldn't stop his lips from curving upward. "I'm probably not as comforting as you think I am."</p><p>"That's where you're wrong, babe." Danny's own lips curved. "Except possibly for me, I know for a fact there's no one better at being comforting than you are. I have the personal experience to prove it."</p><p>Chest tight, he leaned down for a quick kiss. "I love you."</p><p>"I love you too, you big goof." He batted Steve away with a wet washrag. "Now go. Save the day."</p><p>Steve went outside, slowing to a stop before he'd gotten very far. Joe was still standing there, shoulders tense in a way he could see even from where he was standing, and the worry Danny had managed to ease coiled a little tighter. Joe had always been a rock, whether they were getting each other out of danger or both under fire together. Anything that could throw him this much...</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Steve crossed the rest of the distance between them. He went to stand next to Joe, silently watching the water with him, and it wasn't long before Joe's expression turned wry. "Danny sent you out here to talk to me, didn't he?"</p><p>Steve's lips curved upward again. "He's always been a big believer in talking." Then he sobered. "He's right, though. Every single time I've ever been out here alone, I didn't want to be."</p><p>Joe didn't say anything for a long moment, too much emotion in his eyes for Steve to read. Finally, he closed his eyes. "Your mom contacted me. She needed my help with a mission she's planning in Russia."</p><p>A wave of emotion crashed into Steve. Relief, tinged with too much guilt, that Danny had spooked her so badly she hadn't tried to call him. Anger – and pain, so much pain – that she only ever reached out to either one of them when she needed something.</p><p>And grief, coming from far deeper inside him than he ever let himself look at, that he was going to have to say goodbye again.</p><p>He cleared his throat. "When are you leaving?"</p><p>Joe didn't say anything for another long stretch. Then, more quietly than Steve had ever heard him speak, "I'm not."</p><p>Steve went still, more surprised than he would have ever admitted to. He didn't like to think about it, but he agreed with Danny's assessment that Joe was in love with his mother. He had no doubt it was why Joe had started watching out for him in the first place. "Why?"</p><p>Joe opened his eyes, all the breath leaving him in a rush. "Brandon's got that school thing next week."</p><p>Steve blinked against suddenly stinging eyes. "The choir concert. Songs of the Island."</p><p>"Yeah." There was something like grief in Joe's eyes, but the affection in his voice was obvious. "Kid was so excited he had to call and tell me all about it. He'd be heartbroken if I wasn't here to see him perform."</p><p>Steve's throat went tight, hearing everything Joe wasn't saying. "I'm sure he would be."</p><p>"And you know Danny keeps promising to make my grandmother's Irish stew." Joe kept his eyes fixed in the distance, but it still felt like he was begging Steve to understand. "But I have to find the recipe for him first, and you know if I don't watch him he'll figure out a way to put pasta in the damn thing." Joe swallowed. "And you're useless when it comes to your husband, so if anyone's going to talk Grace into joining the Navy it's going to have to be—"</p><p>Joe broke off, voice cracking, and Steve laid a hand on his back. "It's okay." His own voice was thick with emotion. "I'm sure Mom understood."</p><p>It was a bad enough lie that Joe shot him a look. "I really don't think she did."</p><p>"Maybe not." Steve swallowed. "But I do."</p><p>Joe closed his eyes again, something too profound in his voice to be called relief. "I thought you would."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come check out my <a href="https://jennifferwardell.wixsite.com/mybooks">original fiction,</a> my <a href="http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com">blog,</a> or say hi to me on <a href="http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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